Friday, January 1, 2016

Wound Down

Monday, December 28, 2015

While we returned from visiting the second and third generations in Massachusetts on Saturday, I remain on vacation for the next couple of days which that affords me time to catch up and stay current with my reading.

The following story I found particularly absurd. "Breaking Up? Let an App Do It for You" Certainly, in my many years of bachelorhood, before and after marriages, I became well practiced in breaking and being broken. It was never easy, on either end, and there were probably some occasions when the deed was done over the telephone. "It's not you, it's me," works much better when the "you" is not looking into the eyes of the "me." However, to remove yourself from the process entirely, delegating it to an app, is the behavior of a punk.

One reference in the article, apart from the subject matter, bothered me: the Greater Good Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley. "The Greater Good Science Center studies the psychology, sociology, and neuroscience of well-being, and teaches skills that foster a thriving, resilient, and compassionate society." Cf. http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/

I guess I am being naive in objecting to a pseudo-scientific approach to bleeding-heart liberalism (my personal creed). After all, the rich and powerful endow myriad institutes and foundations to rationalize their greed and selfishness.

A more productive use of newsprint is found on-line in a compilation of useful charts and graphs summarizing the year that was in the United States. The information ranges from the cheering -- unemployment at the lowest level since our financial geniuses flushed the toilet in 2008 -- and the gloomy -- gun murders per 100,000 people at 4 times the next developed nation. http://nyti.ms/1kojiwV

Tuesday, December 29, 2015

Another vacation day.

Wednesday, December 30, 2015

"A first impression of burned sugar and dark bread crust gives way to baked fruit — wild blueberry pie?" These words may put your salivary glands to work, but what is the New York Times talking about? Wine, cheese, your next door neighbor?

Actually, it's a 2.2 ounce chocolate bar from Colombia selling for $10, one of 8 high end chocolate bars compared.

I admit that I like chocolate, preferably in a cookie baked by Jacques Torres or in mandelbrot baked by my daughter-in-law. Note that only the former has a web site. (http://www.mrchocolate.com/), but, in any case, I'm spending my ten bucks on the limited edition Reese's Mini Sticks, real chocolate-covered wafers filled with peanut butter, $1.49 for a 6.3 ounces package at Lot-Less Closeouts (http://lot-less.com/), 97 Chambers Street, my preferred emporium, with change to spare.

The Boyz Club gathered in force at Jing Fong, 20 Elizabeth Street, to celebrate my last day of work. The ten of us, who had to wait almost 40 minutes before at least a hundred diners were seated ahead of us, were served 31 plates, containing 13 or so discrete items. At the end of the meal, we pledged to continue to gather, even if in the absence of our Chinatown base.

Thursday, December 31, 2015

The last day of the year and the first day of my retirement. Yesterday, cleaning out my desk, I took one last look at my collection of menus and business cards of the hundreds of (predominantly) Chinese restaurants where I have eaten lunch for exactly the last 6 years and rarely rued a bite.

2 comments:

I'm not sure if you remember, but I saw you walking in the street when I was in Chinatown with my wife. I told you that I enjoyed your blog. I've enjoyed it quite a bit for the last few years, I hope you continue it in some form. Lots of really good information and I share a lot of your views as a fellow New York Jew. (with half Japanese kids)